Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on African leaders to emulate the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), by sustaining investments in Agriculture, stressing that continuity is key and necessary for agricultural transformation.

Obasanjo, who stated this during a visit by the President of SAA, Mr. Shuichi Suzuki in Abeokuta, lauded the association for its continuous commitment and investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, and Africa in general.

The visit is part of Suzuki’s agenda on his week-long familiarisation visit aimed at deepening discussions on the Japanese organisation’s long-standing involvement in Nigeria’s agricultural development and food security.

In his response, Suzuki said his visit was aimed at strengthening ties with the country and to reiterate SAA’s commitment to investing in agriculture in the country. He noted that beyond oil and gas, Nigeria’s greatest assets were agriculture and its young population that is rapidly growing.

In a closed-door meeting, both men explored opportunities for collaboration to further enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and support Nigeria’s agricultural transformation agenda.

The Country Director of SAA in Nigeria, Dr Godwin Atser described the visit to Obasanjo as strategic, adding that it afforded Suzuki the opportunity to better understand the importance of agriculture, its challenges, and the impact SAA is making towards improving livelihoods in Nigeria.

Atser noted that SAA, as an agricultural extension and advisory services organisation, had in the last three decades reached 20 million farmers in Nigeria, using different extension models, adding that more needed to be done to impact more farmers.

Founded in 1986, SAA is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to agricultural extension and smallholder farmer development. Headquartered in Tokyo, the association has four country offices in Africa – Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mali, and Uganda. Since its establishment in Nigeria in 1992, SAA has partnered development agencies, agricultural development programmes, and government institutions to strengthen extension systems, introduce climate-smart technologies, and empower farming communities across the country.

Prior to the visit, Suzuki visited the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, His Excellency, Suzuki Hideo; the Director of Extension, Federal Department of Extension, Mr. Olawumi Ayodele; and the Country Director, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Ms. Dede Ekoue in Abuja.

This visit marks Suzuki’s first official engagement in Nigeria since assuming leadership of SAA. Prior to joining the organisation, he had a distinguished career with Sumitomo Corporation, serving in senior executive roles across its international offices in Baghdad, Paris, and London.